This document summarizes a research seminar about the marginalization of mature-aged workers. It discusses a qualitative study with 32 participants aged 45-70 in Toowoomba, Australia, who had experienced unemployment or underemployment. Key themes that emerged included the marginal employment experiences, impacts on well-being such as health and finances, and ways participants coped. The literature review found that negative perceptions of older workers' productivity is a major cause of their marginalization, despite evidence they perform well. The seminar highlighted gaps in understanding the personal impacts of marginalization from those affected and discussed implications of an aging population on the labor market.

1. School of Arts and Communication
Research Seminar
Employment marginalisation and
mature-age workers
Dr Chris Kossen
20 April 2016

2. Regional Resilience
Doctoral Research 2008
Lived experiences of marginalised mature-age workers
Impacts and hardships they experience
Ways in which they cope
32 Participants Toowoomba area (M 15, F 17)
Age 45-70 (even age distribution)

3. Naturalistic Research
Exploratory Study
Open-ended conversational interviewing: naturalistic
Thematic Data Analysis (TDA): constant comparison
Themes emerge from interview data
2 to 3 interviews each, between one to two hours per interview

4. Results Chapters = Key Themes
MARGINALISATION AND SCARRING EXPERIENCES
MARGINAL EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCES
JOB SEARCH EXPERIENCES
IMPACTS WELLBEING: HEALTH, FINANCIAL, RELATIONSHIPS

5. Literature
Decades of international research overwhelmingly shows
unduly negative perceptions of ageing and
capacity for productivity among mature-age workers
is the major force driving disproportionate marginalisation
Studies on productivity compare favourably
- High levels of accuracy (lower rates of error)
- High levels of output
- High reliability
- Less time off (sick)
- Strong interpersonal skills and problem-solving

6. Gap
Large body quantitative research
High volume of people affected
However, few studies on the impacts of the lives of those affected
marginalised mature-age workers
Gap
Opening opportunity for qualitative research
into the impacts on their lives
from their personal perspective: lived reality

7. Mature-age workers: 45 years and older
Marginalisation: unable to secure adequate employment:
- unemployed
- jobless (unwillingly)
- some welfare, some ineligible (left to exhaust personal finances)
- marginal employment (unwillingly)
- casual, part-time, contract /self-employed, temporary
- some well qualified but confined to low level and low paid work

8. Hidden Unemployment
Under-employment insufficient non-fulltime
Joblessness welfare (eg. disability pension)
non welfare (eg. ineligible)
Hidden unemployment hides the extent of lack of labour demand in society
i.e. work available insufficient for population

9. Marginalisation and Scarring
Many mature-age workers are among the most privileged workers
occupy secure, senior and well-paid positions
However, mature-age workers, are vulnerable if they lose a job
i.e. more susceptible to rapid employment profile ‘scarring’
A dangerous time of life
to lose a job or leave workforce
when you are no longer prime-age worker

10. Ageing and Population Labour Market Issues
- Hidden unemployment: underemployment, joblessness a growing trend
(also affects many other marginalised groups)
Issue 1:
Economic and technological displacement are forces set to continue reducing employment
available for population
Issue 2:
Population ageing influenced by retiring baby-boomers leading to future unsustainable
dependency ratios
(Intergenerational Report: Productivity Commission 2015)

11. Recent Government Policy
- 2009: Qualify Age Pension increased from 65 to 67
- 2014: increase to 70 phase in 2017-2023
- 2014: Subsidies to businesses re-employing workers 50 +
increased to $10,000 (maximum)
(Australian Government Budgets: 2009, 2014)
Criticism: that increasing age pension eligibility leads to further stigmatisation
and burden on a highly marginalised and disadvantaged group.

12. Research: Overarching Themes
Corrosive impacts on well-being from sense of lack of control
(a) associated with financial hardship and uncertainty about future
(b) deprivation from the latent benefits of employment
that help bring structure and purpose to people’s lives

13. Sample Data
Misfortune
My brothers and sisters are debt-free and have
second houses. They don’t understand that
different circumstances is the reason why our
lives worked out differently.
We’ve been unlucky. But what happened to us
could have happened to them too, but of
course they don’t understand that.
(M, mid 50s)

14. Financial stress
….eventually you start running into trouble.
I can handle driving an old van it does the job,
but my tyres are worn. If the police see it I could
get into trouble, but I can’t afford to fix it.
I don’t get to make choices, I can’t even afford to
do the right thing. A car is a necessity, something
you need to get to interviews and work.
(F, mid 50s)

15. Loss of control
There’s no future. You can’t have dreams,
you can’t have goals, you can’t plan
holidays, you can’t think about a new car,
you can’t do anything.
(F, mid 40s)

16. Psychology of Working Theory (PWT)
Research Cluster: Regional Resilience
Insights into personal hardship impacts
Characteristics (1) aid personal resilience
(2) those that hinder resilience
Acknowledgement: Assoc Prof Dr Peter McIlveen (USQ)
Collaborator on article in progress focusing research results on PWT
End

17. Key References
Australian Government 2014 Budget http://www.budget.gov.au/2014-15/
Australian Human Rights Commission AHRC (2010) Age Discrimination – Exposing the Hidden Barrier for Mature Age Workers
Australian Human Rights Commission – http://www.hreoc.gov.au/pdf/age/hiddenbarrier2010.pdf
Blustein, D. L. 2006, The psychology of working. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Borland, J. 2004, Transitions to retirement: a review: Melbourne Institute working paper 3(05), Melbourne Institute of Applied
Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne.
Cai, L. & Kalb, G. 2006, Health status and labour force participation: evidence from Australia. Health Econ., 15, 241–261.
Chomik, R., & Piggott, J. 2012, Mature-age labour force participation: Trends, barriers, incentives, and future potential. ARC
Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research Briefing Paper 2012/01.
http://www.cepar.edu.au/media/97250/participation_briefing_paper_final_with_logo.pdf
Gringart, E., Helmes, E., & Speelman, C. 2011, Development of a measure of stereotypical attitudes towards older workers.
Australian Psychologist, 48(2), 110-118.
Kossen, C. & O’Leary, J. 2011, Privileged elite or double-y disadvantaged, Diversity Matters, Issue 72, Diversity Council Australia,
Sydney.
Kossen, C. & Hammer, S. 2010, Mature aged Jobseekers’ Experiences of Centrelink and the Job Network Services in an
Australian Regional Centre, Australian Journal of Career Development, Vol.14(1), 45-53.